Reaching for Understanding
by PurimPopoie
Summary: Ash Ketchum struggles to understand the things inside him that a certain girl makes him feel. AmourShipping AshxSerena SatoSere.


**Really don't have anything to say about this one, but it was fun to try to get into Ash's mind.**

He really didn't know why he wanted to, but he knew he had to. When he closed his eyes, he could see her honey-blonde hair. When he opened his eyes, he found himself constantly glancing into her lovely blue pools. He wanted to be with her and he didn't know why.

That's why Ash Ketchum, who only understood things through Pokémon, challenged Serena to a Pokémon Battle. "Just for some practice before the next Gym Battle," he told himself out loud.

Standing across the way from him was a girl with honey blonde hair and bright blue eyes. "I haven't been a trainer for very long, so maybe you could take it easy on me?" Serena smiled at him. He liked that, when she smiled at him. He didn't know why.

"Alright," he said, grinning reflexively. "But not too easy, right, Froakie?"

The blue frog Pokémon sat almost completely still. His eyes were closed, and he seemed entirely unaware of what was happening around him.

"Fennekin, come out!" Serena shouted, tossing her red and white Poké Ball into the air.

The ball snapped open, and the small fennec fox Pokémon appeared in a flash of light. "Fene!" she shouted as she landed on the ground.

Clemont pushed up his glasses. "Alright, I'll be referee. You may begin!"

"Good luck!" Bonnie yelled excitedly.

"Froakie, use Bubble!" Ash commanded.

"Use Ember to block, Fennekin!" Serena called in response.

Both Pokémon took in gulps of air before spraying their attacks at each other. Froakie's bubbles flew toward Fennekin, but the Fire-type's hot embers popped them all, creating a small cloud of steam.

"Froakie, use your frubbles to stop Fennekin from moving!" Ash ordered.

"Fennekin, get out of there!" Serena shouted.

Froakie leapt into the air, and started flinging frubbles toward Fennekin. The Fox Pokémon ran around in circles, but one of Froakie's frubbles tagged her leg and stuck her to the ground.

This is what Ash understood. Just as he felt his own pulse racing, he could feel Froakie's. Ash loved battling not for love of violence or glory. He loved it for those moments where he and his Pokémon are one. When they are totally bonded with one another. When the lov-

"Serena, watch out!" Clemont screamed.

Ash looked at her to see what Clemont had noticed. The ground under her feet was starting to crack and fall away. Until this moment, he hadn't even realized that she was standing close to the cliff.

Without a thought, Ash raced across the clearing they were battling in towards Serena, as she looked down and her face began to settle into a look of horror. He came within arms reach of her as the ground started to break apart. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu, Ash's constant companion shouted. Ash could hear Pikachu and Froakie racing toward him.

"Ash, it's gonna fall!" Bonnie said with a gasp.

Ash could feel the ground starting to crumble under his feet. He pulled Serena to his chest and held her close. The ground fell out and Ash fell backwards, holding Serena in his arms. The cliff was steeply sloped, and he slid down to the bottom on his back.

The only thing he thought during this time was that something smelled like wildflowers.

Ash looked first at the girl he held close. Serena's hat had fallen off and landed a short distance away. Serena herself had Ash's jacket clenched tightly in her hands, her eyes squeezed shut. Looking up at the cliff, Pikachu, Froakie, and Fennekin stared down at them as Clemont and Bonnie raced over.

"Ash, Serena, are you two okay?" Clemont asked, cupping his hands around his mouth like a megaphone.

"Yeah, we're fine," Ash called back. Serena slowly released her grasp on Ash and sat up. "Does it look like there's a way back up?"

Clemont surveyed the broken cliff briefly before looking at the Town Map. "I don't think so. But it looks like there's a Pokemon Center a few hours down the road where we can meet up."

"A few hours!?" Ash said with a groan. "Aww, man..."

Serena stood up. "We'll be fine, Clemont. We'll see you there as soon as we can." Serena offered Ash a hand to help him to his feet.

"Pikachu, Froakie, you two be careful," Ash shouted to his Pokemon.

"You, too, Fennekin," Serena called out.

Ash waved to Clemont and Bonnie. "We're counting on you guys. See you later."

"I guess we'd better be on our way, too," Serena said. She bent down and picked up her hat before the two of them set off.

Ash and Serena began the long walk they had ahead of them. Ash silently looked at the sky above them, then at the forest around them. The sky was cloudy, and the trees were alive with the chatter of wild Pokemon.

"Hey, Ash," Serena asked nervously, "are we going to be safe? It sounds like there's a lot of wild Pokemon in the forest.

"Don't worry," he said with a grin, "I still have Fletchling if we get in a tough spot. I'll protect you."

Serena blushed and looked away. "Th-thanks, Ash," she stammered.

He liked it when she blushed, but he didn't know why. And now, with no Pikachu, Clemont, or Bonnie to distract him from his thoughts, that fact bothered him. Why shouldn't be be able to understand? He was always able to understand someone by battling with them, but they got interrupted before he could reach that understanding.

Ash walked in silence, pondering. Well, why wouldn't he enjoy Serena's presence? After all, she was a friend, going way back to that summer camp. She was kind, too. She and Bonnie were like sisters. And man, could she cook! She could even give Cilan a run for his money!

But mostly, she seemed to inspire him. He remembered how she called out during the Santalune Gym Battle, how it got him fired up and helped him win. He remembered how cool she was when she helped him in that Rhyhorn race.

He remembered being nervous when he asked her if she wanted to travel with him. And how glad he was when she agreed. He remembered being relieved when he and Clemont found her and Bonnie safe when Sycamore's lab was attacked by Team Rocket.

But he's done stuff like this before, right? He's traveled all over with lots of good friends. Misty, Brock, May, Max, Dawn, Iris, and Cilan were all his good friends. And Clemont and Bonnie were really awesome, too. But of all of them only Serena seemed to be on his mind all the time. Why was that?

"Ash, it looks like it's gonna rain soon," Serena said.

Ash was ripped from his thoughts, and turned his view skyward. Dark clouds had gathered above them as they walked. He frowned "Aww, man. We'd better find a place to wait out this storm."

Serena smiled. "Maybe we'll find a nice little farm house with nice old folks who'll let us stay with them for-"

Lightning cut across the sky and the rain started to come down. The two trainers started to run alongside the cliff as the rain started to pour.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ash spotted what looked like a small cave in the cliff. "Over there!"

Ash and Serena ran inside the cave. It wasn't really much of a cave. It was more of a grotto, having only a single, rounded chamber. Ash looked at the ground. "Looks like this place might've been a Pokemon nest."

Serena jumped a little. "Do you think its owner will be back soon?" she asked.

"No," Ash said, "looks like whoever lived here hasn't been here in a long time."

Serena plopped herself down near the entrance. "That's a relief. We can wait the storm out here."

"Yeah," Ash said with a shrug as he sat down next to her. His mind felt as cloudy and rainy as the sky. He still didn't understand why he instinctively sat next to this honey-haired young woman. He smelled wildflowers again, too. He realized he liked that smell, but he couldn't grasp why he did. Could it be because Serena smelled like wildflowers? Why does he keep liking things about her?

"Ash, are you okay? You've been quiet for a while now," Serena asked him. Her voice was tinged with worry.

Ash sat up as if he was going to say 'Nah', but slumped back down. "I guess something is bothering me," he said.

"What is it?" she pressed. "You can tell me. We're friends, right?"

"But you're the thing that's botherin' me," he said. As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how they sounded. "Oh my gosh, Serena, I didn't mean it like that. You're my friend, and you never bother me." Ash frowned at himself and continued. "There's just stuff about you I don't understand."

"Like what?" Serena asked.

"Like, why do I think about your hair when I'm going to sleep? Or why do I like it when I notice we're looking at each other." Ash, unable to grasp what these feelings inside him could mean, began to pour it all out for her. "Why was I so fired up when you came to the Santalune Gym? Why do I like your smile? I'm just trying to understand why I keep thinking about you, no matter what I do."

Serena scooted closer to him. Her cheeks were colored pink. "Ash... Do you like me?"

Ash blinked. "Of course I like you, Serena. We're friends."

"No," she said, looking away coyly. "I mean as... more than friends."

Ash felt his brain begin to struggle to process Serena's question. More than friends? What could be more than friends? He might feel closer to Serena and Pikachu than to Clemont and Bonnie, but they were all friends, right? Was it because Serena made Ash excited for his next battle, and he liked the way her hair swayed as they walked, that made her a "more-than-friend"? "I..." he struggled. "I... I don't understand, Serena. I don't understand what you're asking me."

Serena smiled at him and placed her hand on his chest, where his heart was pounding faster than Pikachu ran. "Ash, it's alright if you don't understand. I know your heart understands. That same heart that's bonded so closely with your Pokemon understands how you really feel." She pulled him into a hug, his head leaning into her chest.

In that instant, Ash could almost reach it. The understanding that had been eluding him all this time was right before his eyes. He felt like it floated there, fated to remain just outside the grasp of his mind. He also smelled wildflowers again.

"I'm sorry for asking you such a weird question, Ash," Serena said with a shy smile.

"Serena," Ash said, and then paused. "I don't hear the rain anymore. We should get going."

Serena let Ash go, and he stood up. He took her hand and helped her up, then led her out of the cave.

He never let go the entire time. He didn't know why, but he didn't care as long as Serena was there.

When they came upon the Pokemon Center, they find Clemont and Bonnie eating grapes on a bench outside. "There you two are," Clemont said. "We've been waiting for you."

"A nice farmer found us right as it started to rain," Bonnie said. "He took us here and gave us some grapes to eat."

"Pikachu and the others are with Nurse Joy," Clemont said. He took a closer look and adjusted his glasses. "Ash, are you and Serena... holding hands?"

Serena's face flushed as Ash looked down at their hands, still entwined. "Yeah, we are," Ash said, smiling.

Clemont blinked, took off his glasses, rubbed them clean, and then put them back on. He peered through them again. "Why?"

"I dunno, Clemont," Ash said with a shrug. "I just like doin' it. I can figure it out later."

Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all sighed. Serena giggled, and said "Typical Ash."


End file.
